Joba's father leaves hospital

Elder Chamberlain is resting at home, 'in good spirits'

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- The father of Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain is resting comfortably at his Lincoln, Neb., home after recovering from respiratory failure brought on by pneumonia.

Harlan Chamberlain, 55, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he was feeling better. The elder Chamberlain collapsed at home on April 13 and was hospitalized, with Joba Chamberlain leaving the Yankees for five games and being placed on the Major League bereavement list.

On April 24, Chamberlain was released from St. Elizabeth Regional Medical Center in Lincoln, where he had been listed in critical but stable condition. Harlan Chamberlain has had a long history of medical problems, including polio and a burst appendix, and utilizes a motorized scooter.

"He thanks everyone, because without them and all their support and prayers, we wouldn't have been able to get him back as quick as we did," said Chamberlain, who characterized his father as being in good spirits.

Chamberlain, a 22-year-old right-hander, missed five games and rejoined the Yankees on April 19 in Baltimore. He and his father are extremely close, speaking by telephone at least once per day.

"You've got to be there for your dad, for all the times he's been there for you," Chamberlain said.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.